Sheafman Points via Nipple Knob

With another marginal forecast and high snow level, Jeffrey joined me for an exploratory day up sheafman creek, hoping to ski a few runs I scoped out back in October on foot during my excellent sheafman triple loop.

sheafman points, as seen from mill point

We were prepared with shoes so the initial 1500 or so vert from the winter TH went smoothly and we soon found ourselves at snowline.  We motored up the E face of nipple knob, reaching the summit in a surprisingly quick 2 hours from the car.

We found mediocre to poor skiing conditions off the N side as we dropped down into sheafman creek.  After slapping on skins, we quickly found the summer trail and headed up drainage for a mile or so before reaching the slidepath of the aesthetic S gully of E sheafman point, which we climbed directly.  Once on top, I had hoped to drop N into fred burr canyon, but my desired route looked all too similar to how it looked back in October (a dusting of snow on talus).   

no dice

We continued trending W along the ridgeline, scoping one steep/scrappy/unattractive couloir after another.  We eventually came to a halt at the prominent rocky fin just shy of the summit of W sheafman point and decided just to ski the S facing gully below us down to sheafman creek.  Surprisingly good corn skiing and a little routefinding put us down near the creek where we paused to refuel and discuss our options.

jeffrey skiing S to sheafman creek

a look back up

We debated heading up to castle crag and skiing the S face to mill and exiting via the mill creek trail (we had carried our shoes).  However I had a feeling since the sheafman creek trail sits about a thousand feet higher and its lower portion is N-facing, it would provide a much nicer egress.  So we climbed back up via a series of snow ramps just E of the prior run to the small hanging meadow between the two sheafman points.  A quick traverse put us atop the S gully from the morning.  The upper quarter skied poorly but the remainder was good corn and we were soon exchanging high fives in the runout zone, excited to have skied a new great peak-to-creek run.  

upper portion

highlight of the day

My estimate for the egress was 2 hours and we skied as far down canyon as we could before slapping on skins and starting the skin out.  It took us an hour to get from the bridge to the summer TH (quite a bit of winter downfall) but we were able to skin about 90% of it.  Another forty minutes of switchback cutting and road running put us at the car.  (total egress time of 2.5 hours).

Stats:  approx. 7600 vert in 9 hrs car-car

Rose: skiing an aesthetic new peak-to-creek run in mostly good conditions

Thorn: getting shut down on skiing N to fred burr

Bud: returning for the N couloir and S face of castle crag at the head of the drainage

Thoughts:  I believe the slide path on W sheafman point just W of the prominent rock spine is a cleaner run than the E one we skied.  The S gully of E sheafman point is a beauty and should get skied more often         

Mill 1 and 2 Tour

Spring certainly seems to have arrived early this year.  Despite a forecasted rain/snow line of around 6500ft, Brian, Jeffrey and I set out from the bone dry mill creek TH with plans to start with mill point and see where the day took us.

late February and we're already doing this - yikes!

After a disheartening 1500 vert of dirt walking, we finally transitioned to skis and continued up to mill point.  Once on top, Brian led the way skiing down the N ridge and through some talus to some N facing meadows.  We transitioned when the snow quality deteriorated (about 6500ft) and a little talus scrambling granted access to the basin to the west, which we crossed and continued up the N ridge of mill 2. 

E face mill 2

closing in on the gendarmes near the top of mill 2

We wrapped around the W side of the gendarmes near the summit and into the W gully.  After a little stability assessment, we continued to the top of the line, before dropping in and enjoying surprisingly good powder conditions.  

jeffrey dropping in 

brian in the W gully

choke at the bottom of W gully (steeper than it looks)

mill 2 from E sheafman point 2 weeks later, W gully is obvious run in center of frame

We then climbed up the W face of mill 2 to gain the upper N ridge and transitioned near the gendarmes near the top.  Concerned about skiing the semi-steep E face, we opted to ski down the N ridge a ways before dropping E to the basin from the morning. 

headed up mill point

We made a big push up the W side of mill point, and I unfortunately faded a bit near the top.  Once I joined Brian and Jeffrey on the summit, we discussed our next move.  I voted to head down via the E face but Brian inquired whether or not I’d yet done a 10k day this season (answer was no) so he insisted I rally for a run down to tag alder lake before the final egress run.  Jeffrey was on board so I said yes, and we dropped in for 1200ft of decent wind-effected powder down to the lake.   

Brian gave me a much-needed shot of GU (thanks!) for the last climb up to mill point before we pointed skis down the E ridge/face, skiing about 1500ft of decent snow and another 1500ft of mank (in the rain) til we ran out of snow.  We ended up further S than expected so the walk down/out to the trailhead took a bit longer than expected.  All in all a surprisingly good day of skiing given the forecast and disturbingly high snow level for this time of year. 

Stats:  about 10,500vert in 10:15 car-car

Rose: good powder in the aesthetic W gully of mill 2

Thorn: fading on the second-to-last climb up mill point

Bud: returning for the E face of mill 2